Sasha Said A hearty blend of feminist insights, cultural commentary, political rants, and social justice advocacy.

Archive for the ‘Poverty in California’ Tag

My partner got a ride into town yesterday to do some grocery shopping, and when he got to the store, he saw a long line of people leading into the store from almost halfway down the block. Turns out the store had advertised three minimum wage positions, and word got around quickly. They didn’t even have to put an ad in the paper; a sign outside the store was all it took for hundreds of people to show up!

People around here are so desperate for work that even bagging groceries or stocking shelves for minimum wage is looking real good. Given California’s high cost of living and out-of-control rents (which, btw, have only gotten worse because the foreclosure crisis increased demand for rentals), these jobs don’t even pay enough to cover the most basic necessities. But job openings have become so rare in recent years that any time a position becomes available, the response is huge.

My partner put in an application too. Getting a regular paycheck every two weeks would be enormously comforting. It’s incredibly stressful and frightening to barely scrape by as a freelancer. Every month we’re terrified that we won’t make enough money to cover our basic expenses. While it’s usually possible to delay a past-due bill for a month, doing so makes things even tougher the following month when there’s an extra bill to pay. We’re constantly teetering on the brink of total disaster, while necessary medical and dental care is put off indefinitely. We just can’t afford it. This job won’t change that, but it would provide some security and remove some of the stress that is taking a toll on our relationship.

Unfortunately my partner has little hope of being hired due to a lack of extensive retail experience. Being overqualified won’t help either. There were literally hundreds of applications for those three positions, and there are bound to be some applicants with grocery store experience.Read the rest of this entry »